Small Developer Training

At our core, we train small developers. Learn more about training by reviewing our one-day Workshops or two-day Boot Camps.

Targeted Pilot Projects

We work with local groups and foundations to create custom projects in targeted neighborhoods.

We can have the greatest impact when we apply our Alliance to intensive project work in a targeted area. This work requires active ground support from a civic group, government, business association, or economic development group, etc. in addition to financial backing. These projects call for deep focus and important bridge building, so we only do a few per year. We are currently seeking our 2018 partners for large commitments like pilot projects, but sometimes we can accommodate small engagements in the interim that dovetail with our existing groundwork in a region. We'd love to hear about what you're thinking for your place.

Speaking

We offer lectures, educational conference sessions, and seminars on incremental development in theory and practice.

Example Topics

All lectures are paid speaking appearances by faculty, founding members, or recommended voices within the Alliance. Topics focus on the speaker's subject expertise but may include:

What does incremental development look like in practice? Story and image heavy presentations on incremental development projects. Motivational in effect.

Why is incremental development important and what are the barriers to its success? Persuasive presentations geared toward a general audience or local decision-makers involved in the development process.

How do you become a small developer? A high-level overview aimed at the beginner. This is a teaser length intro to our training workshops.

How do you become a city that supports small developers? A high-level overview aimed at public officials. This is a teaser length intro to our coaching work.

Past Audiences

Our presentations are ideal for conferences and other audiences who care about the built environment. Some of the groups who have enjoyed our speaking include:

Professional trade organizations like the Florida chapter of the American Planning Association

Chambers and independent business associations

Real estate and home building associations

Local civic groups and neighborhood organizations like Historic Columbus in Georgia

Watch a Presentation

Stress Testing

We help municipalities triage their rules and processes to create a near term pathway for the legalization of small scale development.

Why Stress Test?

Does your Master Plan call for thriving core neighborhoods and beautiful infill, but you are not seeing it come to fruition? Most cities are unaware of the stymieing effect of what may seem like innocuous rules or processes. Be it the fine print of stormwater management or the approval processes required for a parking variance, many well-intentioned regulations disproportionately hinder exactly the kind of development that cities hope for. Stress Testing will help your city understand the hidden impact of today's regulations to guide a path to tomorrow's. This is not an anti-regulation exercise - it's about making the rules clearer and the process less arcane for local, small scale developers.

How does it work

The Stress Test involves bringing in a 2-3 person IncDev team to help your city prioritize what needs to change first in order to legalize small scale development like Missing Middle buildings.

The Stress Test is focused on specific lots in a particular neighborhood of a city (or an entire small municipality). You'll want to target an area of approximately a mile radius or under 10k people to make this most effective.

The IncDev team will interpret zoning codes for a specific area and identify barriers by working through developments on paper, from site plans to cash flow. This will be performed on-site, in your city.

The IncDev reconnaissance process involves speaking with local builders, realtors, and business owners to understand your city's development environment and market conditions. Those conversations will inform a summary of technical considerations pertinent to several administrative departments which may not be aware of contradictions.

Implementation Clinic

We learn from champions who are working to improve their city, and provide them with tools to help them in that endeavor.

Why a Clinic?

Often, we are approached by nonprofit housing groups, economic development agencies, private sector trade groups, and other folks who work every day to improve their city. These groups often find themselves at an impasse where some sort of hurdle, conflict, or rule in the development ecosystem lies between them and their mission. Our Implementation Clinic is designed so that we can learn from their experiences and share our own. Drawing from a braintrust that spans the country and decades of getting things done, IncDev provides coaching on the next, smallest step in the right direction.

How does it Work?

The Clinic is a coaching and strategy session with 1-2 people from the IncDev Alliance who have relatable experience to your own. It is an opportunity to discuss the issues in your city, town, or neighborhood and get feedback from someone who can help you take the next step.

The Implementation Clinic is a starting point for local groups who would later like to pursue a larger 12-24 month project with the partnership of a local foundation.